Breakdown of پاسبان از دروازهبان خواست که درها را ببندد.
در
door
ازaz
from
راrâ
definite direct object marker
بستنbastan
to close / to fasten/tie
خواستنkhâstan
to want / to ask (request from someone)
کهke
that (conjunction)
دروازهبانdarvâzebân
gatekeeper
پاسبانpâsbân
watchman / patrolman
Questions & Answers about پاسبان از دروازهبان خواست که درها را ببندد.
The sentence features two words with the -بان suffix: پاسبان and دروازهبان. What do the root words پاس and دروازه mean on their own?
The suffix -بان denotes guardianship. پاس means a watch, guard, or patrol, so a پاسبان is a watchman or policeman. دروازه means a large gate, making a دروازهبان a gatekeeper. As a fun fact, دروازهبان is also the exact word used for a goalkeeper in sports!
Why do we use the preposition از before دروازهبان when translating 'asked the gatekeeper'?
In Farsi, when you ask or request someone to do something using the verb خواستن, you must use the preposition از (from). You are literally 'wanting something from' them. Therefore, 'asked the gatekeeper' is phrased as از دروازهبان خواست.
Why is the second verb ببندد in the subjunctive mood instead of a regular indicative tense?
The subjunctive mood is required here because of the first verb خواست (wanted/asked) combined with که (that). Whenever you state a request, desire, or command for someone else to do an action, the subsequent verb must be subjunctive because the action is hypothetical or desired, not yet a completed fact.
The word for gatekeeper is دروازهبان, but the things being closed are درها. What is the difference between دروازه and در?
در is the general word for a door, while دروازه specifically refers to a large gate (like a city gate, estate gate, or sports goal). Here, the gatekeeper is being asked to close the doors (درها), perhaps of the guardhouse or an inner compound, rather than the main gates.
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